US President Donald Trump has made it clear that he will not unfreeze Iranian assets or lift any sanctions before a comprehensive peace agreement is finalized. In an interview with NBC News' 'Meet the Press,' Trump emphasized that such steps would only be considered after a deal is reached. 'Comes after,' he said. 'Yeah. If they behave, if they do a good job, we start talking. Yeah.'
Trump's Stance on Negotiations
Trump also clarified that he is not demanding Lebanon's inclusion in a short-term agreement with Tehran. 'I think they'd like to see it, but I'm not demanding,' he added during the interview recorded on Friday. The US and Israeli forces initiated strikes on Iran on February 28, and the Trump administration has been attempting to broker a potential peace deal for weeks. 'We're very close to a deal, or I'm going to blow the hell out of them,' Trump warned.
Potential Talks with Iran's Supreme Leader
The President expressed willingness to speak with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since being wounded in US strikes at the start of the conflict. 'I don't want to say whether or not I know where he is, but there's a good probability that I do,' Trump stated.
Top Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, insist that a temporary ceasefire agreement has been holding despite recent US strikes on Iran. Rubio told lawmakers last week that these actions are defensive in nature.
Pakistan's Mediation Efforts
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was in Tehran on Sunday in a fresh attempt to restart negotiations between Iran and the US. This comes as the American military reported shooting down two more Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz that threatened international maritime traffic. Naqvi met with Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni late on Saturday and held talks on Sunday morning with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to official Iranian media.
Israel Strikes Beirut Amid Truce
In a related development, Israel struck the outskirts of Beirut on Sunday for the first time since the US announced a truce plan for Lebanon last week. Iran threatened retaliation, casting the talks to end the wider war into new jeopardy. Tehran stated it would deliver a 'decisive and painful response' to the strikes.
